Next GATE, the in-vehicle smartphone controller for iPhone by Clarion Co., Ltd. (below, Clarion; President, Tatsuhiko Izumi), has won the Special Award (Smart Mobility Category) of the U.S. Media Panel Innovation Awards 2012. The product was on exhibit at CEATEC JAPAN 2012, held October 2-6 at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex.

Clarion launched Next GATE, an in-vehicle smartphone controller for iPhone® in July in North America. Its innovative design and outstanding operability received strong praise. U.S. IT and home electronics journalists attend CEATEC JAPAN to cover the technologies, products and services on exhibit there. Superior examples receive U.S. Media Panel Innovation Awards. Honors go to those excelling in innovation and deemed likely to have a big impact on the U.S. market. Next GATE won a Special Award in the Smart Mobility Category, a new category this year. It honors items that enhance the ties between the IT/electronics industry and automobile industry.

The U.S. Media Panel (the judges) included the following eight members this year.

Michael Kanellos : Greentech media Editor in chief

Tim Stevens : Engadget Editor in chief

Mark Seavy : Consumer Electronics Daily News

Tom Samiljan : Men's Journal

Auri Rahimzadeh : The Auri Group, LLC President

Hubert Nguyen : Ubergizmo Co-founder and Editor

Evan Hansen : Wired.com Editor in Chief

Rich DeMuro : KTLA-TV Tech Reporter

Next GATE has also won the 2012 Good Design Award from the Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

CEATEC JAPAN 2012

The CEATEC JAPAN Executive Board, which comprises three organizations – the Communications and Information Network Association of Japan (CIAJ), whose Chairman is Setsuhiro Shimomura, Chairman of Mitsubishi Electric Corporation; the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), whose Chairman is Ryoji Chubachi, CEO and Vice Chairman of Sony Corporation; and the Computer Software Association of Japan (CSAJ), whose Chairman is Shigefumi Wada, President of OBIC Business Consultants Co., Ltd. – hosts CEATEC JAPAN 2012, a comprehensive cutting-edge IT & electronics exhibition, over a five-day period from October 2 (Tuesday) to October 6 (Saturday), 2012, at the Makuhari Messe International Convention Complex (Mihama Ward, Chiba City). Following this year’s theme of “Smart Innovation – Creating a prosperous lifestyle and society,” CEATEC will show the world Japan’s smart innovations made possible by progress in IT and electronics bringing more comfort to lifestyles and society as a whole.

* Company and product names shown in this news release are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies.